1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner attachment that can pick up a liquid spill, while preventing the liquid from being drawn into the hose of the vacuum unit.
2. Related Art
It is difficult cleaning up wet spills, especially on carpet or upholstery. Methods for collecting solids like scrubbing or scraping are not suitable for removing moisture. Methods for removing moisture like absorption are not suitable for removing solids. Suction is the best method to accommodate the removal of both solids and liquid.
Inventors have created vacuums suitable for the collection and storage of wet solids and liquids. Several types of attachments have been invented which do not have their own suction motor.
The following attachments are comprised of multiple components, mainly having inlet and outlet pipes, and a reservoir which separates from a cover. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,769 to Lundquist (1979), [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,540 to Howerin (1982)
Although the liquid separators of the above cited references allow the vacuum unit to remove liquid, the attachments tend to be bulky and stationary, limiting the useful range of the vacuum cleaner. Additionally, the attachments are located between the vacuum unit and the end of the hose, requiring manipulation of two separate hoses to connect and detach the separator.
It would therefore be desirable to have a portable vacuum cleaner attachment that can remove and separate liquid, and be easily detachable from the end of the vacuum hose. The following attachments meet that requirement:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,952 to Mohan, Jr. (2004),
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,936 to Rawlins (1987),
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,224 to Lovelady (1993),
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,238 to McCaffrey et al. (1997),
U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,624 to Eisen (1999)
The above attachments all have one or more internal baffles or deflectors to form internal air passages, preventing manufacture as a single-part, causing a number of disadvantages:
a. They require the assembly of multiple components or the joining of 2 molded halves. Assembly is an extra step in the manufacturing process, making them more expensive to produce.
b. Assembly of the attachment as separate components requires thick material so that is holds its shape to that is can be fastened together.
c. Assembly also introduces tolerance problems in manufacturing, not present in a single-part design.
d. The completed attachments need to hold liquids, so designs requiring assembly must also provide a method of sealing the attachment.
e. If an attachment comprised of multiple components is dropped or is stored at a high temperature, causing deformation, it is more likely to fail in function or to leak than a single-part design.
f. They lack a filter to further prevent water droplets from the air stream to enter the vacuum hose.